No place for complacency at Old Trafford: Robson

SINGAPORE — If Manchester United were to launch a serious challenge for top honours in the English Premier League again, their players will need to take every training session and match seriously.

That is the contention of former United great Bryan Robson, who noticed an air of complacency in the Old Trafford dressing room prior to last Sunday’s game against Southampton, which the Red Devils eventually lost 1-0 to end their 10-match, two-month unbeaten run.

Said 58-year-old Robson, who is in Singapore as part of retailer Courts’ SG50 celebrations: “I went in to watch training, and more or less the whole squad was there apart from Ashley Young. I don’t know if the players just relaxed a little bit, and thinking everybody is fit and this is going to be easy now. That is how you will have a disappointing result.”

United did not have a single shot on target against Southampton who after the win, leapfrogged the Manchester side into third position — and two points ahead on 39 points — in the Premier League standings.

The shock loss invited some criticisms over United manager Louis van Gaal’s unpopular 3-5-2 formation for a team used to playing 4-4-2, and Robson — though sympathetic with the injury woes Van Gaal has faced with his players — said that the Dutchman needs to find a winning formula fast.

“We have a fully fit squad, and then I think all the Manchester United fans are going to find out what formation and which players he (Van Gaal) really does like,” said Robson.

“Manchester United have the need to finish in Champions League position this year, and then challenge for the title next season.”

Former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson took seven years to win his first title with the club after his 1986 appointment, but Robson knows the business of the Premier League is bigger now and more cut-throat, and Van Gaal will not have as much time as Ferguson to get results.

“Things are different now. United are global and very well-run commercially,” noted Robson. “So what we need to make sure this does not drop, is results. Otherwise, you lose some of that commercial value, and you also lose some of your fans.”

Valued at £1.65 billion (S$3.3 billion), United are the third most profitable club in the world behind Spanish sides Real Madrid and Barcelona, figures by Forbes last year showed. Sitting out the Champions League this season is costing the club between £38 million and £48 million in revenue loss, and they will want to continue keeping their sponsors such as Chevrolet and adidas happy.

United play Queens Park Rangers today with Robin van Persie a likely absentee after injuring his knee against Southampton, which may give unsettled Radamel Falcao a chance to get into Van Gaal’s starting line-up.

Earlier this week, Falcao’s agent, Jorge Mendes, slammed Van Gaal for overlooking the Colombian, saying the striker can “play 90 minutes of the match, every time, with any other club”. But Robson said Falcao will have to fight for his place like everyone else: “Nobody has got a divine right to be in the team, and Falcao is no different from any other player.”

Robson, once labelled “Captain Marvel”, also thinks the rumour of Gareth Bale leaving Real to join United is just idle talk for now.

“It is hard to make top-class signings in January. Players are normally more available in the summer,” he said. “I can’t see United signing Gareth Bale … I can’t see why Bale, after only one year, will leave Real Madrid. I can’t see why Real want to let him go. Anyway, that is not the type of player we need. With so many attacking options, what we need is really a good defensive type of player who can improve us on that side.”

*Bryan Robson will make an appearance at the Courts Megastore at Tampines today at 2pm. Registration limited to 150 people on first-come-first served basis.